Suggested Searches

1 min read

Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer

The headshot image of NASA

NASA

Mar 31, 2017
Image Article
Dr. Nancy Roman with model of solar observatory
Dr. Nancy Grace Roman is shown with a model of the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) in 1962. She was the first Chief of Astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters and the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA. She had oversight for the planning and development of programs including the Hubble Space Telescope.

Dr. Nancy Grace Roman is shown with a model of the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) in 1962. She was the first Chief of Astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters and the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA. In her role, she had oversight for the planning and development of programs including the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Dr. Roman received her PhD in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949 and joined NASA in 1959. She finished her NASA career at Goddard Space Flight Center where she served as the manager of the Astronomical Data Center. After retiring from NASA in 1979, she continued working as a contractor at Goddard. Throughout her career, Dr. Roman has been a spokesperson and advocate of women in the sciences.

Video: Hubble’s 25th Anniversary – Dr. Roman reflects on the importance of building and launching a space telescopeWomen at NASA: Nancy Grace RomanInterview: NASA Headquarters Oral History Project

Image Credit: NASA